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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, May 17, 2006

HOMEGROWN REPORT
Iacovelli continues running at HPU

By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer

LET US KNOW

If you know of any athletes deserving of recognition, give us their names, high schools and graduation years, colleges and sports. E-mail us at: homegrown@honoluluadvertiser.com or contact Leila Wai at 535-2457.

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SEND US YOUR PHOTOS

If you have a photo of an athlete competing in college, send it to us: lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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Todd Iacovelli, a former state high school cross country champion at Punahou, is returning to Hawai'i to compete for Hawai'i Pacific University.

After earning degrees in economics and psychology at the University of Michigan, Iacovelli had a year of eligibility remaining after competing for the Wolverines' cross country and track teams.

"My dad only saw me run one race in college, and my mom saw me run three times," Iacovelli said. "That's going to be most fun, my friends and family are going to see me run."

The 2002 Punahou graduate knew and admired HPU head coach Christian Friis and assistant Matt Stevens.

"Both are definitely personal friends," Iacovelli said. "We've run together and had fun together over the past few years."

Iacovelli will work on a master's in business while running for HPU.

"It's going to be nice to come back and not have winters anymore," he said.

SOFTBALL

  • Portland State junior left fielder Kimi Daniel (Sacred Hearts '03) hit her 10th home run of the season Friday in a 3-0 win over Loyola Marymount.

    Also on the Vikings roster is freshman outfielder Jessica Maielua (Lahainaluna '05).

    Portland State earned its first NCAA Division I regional berth after winning its first Pacific Coast Softball Conference championship.

    WOMEN'S GOLF

  • Stanford freshman Mari Chun (Kamehameha '05) tied for 13th in the NCAA West Regional at the par-72, 6,289-yard Washington National Golf Club in Auburn, Wash.

    Chun shot 78-71-74—223 at the tournament that concluded Saturday. Stanford finished fourth and qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

  • Willamette (Salem, Ore.) freshman Whitney Ueno (Hilo '05) placed 10th at the NCAA Division III Golf Championships at the par-73, 5,830-yard Mission Inn Golf Course near Orlando, Fla.

    Ueno shot 92-75-78-77—322. After her opening round left her in 46th, she rallied with three sub-80 rounds, one of the few players in the tournament to shoot under 80 for three rounds.

    "Whitney has such a great attitude," coach Tom Hibbard said in a press release. "She withstood some pretty tough challenges and did it all with a smile on her face and a tremendous amount of poise. She really played great golf here over the final three rounds and I think she can be a force in the Division III women's golf for the next three years."

    TRACK AND FIELD

  • Washington senior Lauran Dignam (Iolani '02 of 'Aina Haina) ran the 400 meters in 54.50 seconds to place eighth at the Pac-10 Championships this past weekend in Eugene, Ore.

  • Navy junior Julie Jordan (Punahou '02 of Kane'ohe) placed seventh in the 5,000 meters (18:08:10) at the Patriot League Outdoor Championships on May 6.

    WOMEN'S TENNIS

  • Wellesley (Mass.) sophomore Jenna Mezin (Seabury Hall '04) was selected with partner Hali Walther to compete in the NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championships for the second straight year.

    The duo compiled a 15-4 doubles record.

    Mezin was also selected to participate in the individual NCAA Division III Tennis Championships. She has a 20-4 singles record.

    BASEBALL

  • Four players from Hawai'i were named to National Junior College Athletic Association all-region teams.

    Yavapai (Ariz.) sophomores Troy Hanzawa (Mid-Pacific '04), Milton Loo (Moloka'i '04) and Aaron Asher ('Aiea '04) were named to the Region I team.

    Highland Community College (Kan.) sophomore outfielder Dylan Libadisos ('Aiea '04) was named to the Region VI team.

  • Hartnell (Salinas, Calif.) Community College sophomore pitcher Marc Nobriga (Saint Louis '04) and sophomore catcher Jowen Murray-Thornton (Saint Louis '04) were named to the Coast Conference first team.

    Nobriga was chosen as a utility player. He had a 5-5 record as a pitcher and batted .368.

    Murray-Thornton was named first team for the second straight year after hitting .436 in conference play and driving in 28 runs.

  • Saint Martin's (Lacey, Wash.) freshman outfielder Ryan Brilhante (Saint Louis '05) was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year.

    Brilhante was also an honorable mention pick, after finishing with 21 hits, 17 runs and eight stolen bases.

    MEN'S TENNIS

  • Mesa College freshman Bryce Silva (Kamehameha '05 of Holualoa) is currently playing in the National Junior College Athletic Association Nationals in Plano, Texas.

    COMMITMENTS

  • Zach Gregory (Kalani '03), who played football for Golden West Community College (Huntington Beach, Calif.), signed with Missouri Southern State College, according to his father Stu Gregory. Gregory is a 5-foot-11, 260-pound junior fullback.

  • Kaiser senior Chanelle Esteban signed with the College of Southern Idaho to join its women's volleyball program, which will also have sisters Kawena Cubi-Otineru (St. Francis '06) and Aneli Cubi-Otineru (Punahou '05).

  • Baldwin's Matt Heyd will play for the men's basketball team at the University of La Verne (Calif.), according to Alan Walls, the owner/camp director of the Maui Sports Academy.

    Also, Seabury Hall's Justin Endo will join the basketball team at Webster University (St. Louis, Mo.), Walls said.

    Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.